And They Were Roommates
by Waiting For a Flame
Summary: It was Jade’s idea to move in with them. A multishot story detailing how Artemis came to live with the Nguyen-Harpers.
1. The Offer

Jade had been the one to suggest it.

Three adults and a toddler in one apartment wasn't the ideal living situation. If Artemis had been in her right mind, she would have said no. Even in her current state of mind, she should have said no. She had absolutely no business intruding on what Jade and Roy called a marriage.

"Earth to Artemis," her sister's voice teased from the kitchen. Artemis didn't want to know what she was doing in there. Not cooking, she prayed. The last time Jade had cooked in her kitchen, she'd set the stove on fire. Jury was still out on whether or not it had been intentional.

"I'm thinking about it," she sighed, looking up at the ceiling from her position on the couch. There was a stain on the ceiling. She vaguely remembered the sound of her own laughter, her sides hurting after her boyfriend had tripped over Brucely and sent a takeout box of curry flying at the ceiling. "Are you both still living in that shithole?"

"A shithole is no place to raise a baby."

Artemis sighed. In the turn of events, she'd nearly forgotten about her niece. It was still strange to think about, an assassin and the definition of anger management raising a kid together. Lian would need extensive amounts of therapy, that was a given.

"You know, most girls get a haircut after a breakup. They don't move in with their sister and her husband."

Jade finally exited the kitchen, dragging with her a full bag of trash. She left it by the front door and wiped her hands on her jeans. "Are you done being dramatic?"

"No." Artemis turned on her side, finally facing her sister. "I think I'm going to go out for Broadway."

Jade snorted. "Good luck with that. You're a shit singer."

"Won't argue with you there," she mused, watching carefully as Jade came closer. She hadn't been too surprised when Jade climbed through her living room window. She'd been popping in every few weeks, making sure she was alive. They didn't talk about it; she usually just showed up, cleared a bit of clutter while exchanging a few words and then she left. Today had been different; today she'd asked her to move in.

Jade pushed Artemis' feet off the couch so she could sit, just like she'd used to do when they were younger. "Your lease is almost up."

"I'm impressed; did you threaten my landlord with a sai to find out that information?"

Jade smirked. "I didn't have to. You haven't checked your mail in a week."

"Right."

"I'm offering you a rent-free living situation. There shouldn't be much to think about." If Artemis hadn't valued her life as much, she would have told her that she was starting to sound like their mother. That would have sent Jade scurrying away in annoyance. While part of her wanted Jade to leave, she kept quiet.

"There's a catch. You just haven't mentioned it yet," Artemis said, slowly lifting her feet onto Jade's lap. The older girl made a face, but didn't shove her feet away.

"No catch."

Based off past experience, Artemis found that very hard to believe. "Rent?"

"Paid for."

"Utilities?"

Jade shrugged, looking over her fingernails and picking out a bit of dirt out from under them. "Ditto."

"Groceries? Chores?"

"Roy cooks and cleans. Didn't I get lucky?" Jade cooed, looking over at Artemis with an impish grin. It was odd to see her sister so happy, so… normal. She never would have pegged Jade as the domestic type. Then again, she never would have expected Jade to have a kid, and yet here they were.

Finally, Jade relented and sighed as if in deep consideration. "Fine. If you must do something to contribute, you can babysit."

"Babysitting? That's it?"

"That's it."

Artemis didn't answer immediately. She tore her gaze away from her sister and looked at the wall, the picture of her, Wally and Brucely. It would be easy to say no; Jade probably wouldn't care either way. Her lease was up at the end of the month, but she could find somewhere to go. Moving back home with her mother wouldn't be ideal, but it would work in a pinch. Zatanna would take her if she asked. M'gann too. It wasn't like she didn't have anywhere else to go. Anywhere she chose would certainly be quieter than living with Jade. Less strange.

She could imagine it now; Lian, wailing from her crib at two in the morning while she threw a pillow over her head to try and sleep. Roy, a constant presence of bitterness and destruction. Jade disappearing whenever things got too hard. The thoughts made her want to scream, and she hadn't even said yes yet.

Jade didn't push her to answer, she was good about that. When she'd noticed that Artemis had gone into her own world, she'd pulled her phone out and kept her hands busy. Artemis watched her for a few seconds before looking back to the picture. Her mother, Zatanna, M'gann, they'd all hover. With the best intentions, of course, but they'd still hover. She couldn't live with that.

"Do I have to sleep on the couch?" Artemis asked, hating how her voice cracked.

Jade looked up from her phone. "No, we moved into a bigger place. A two bedroom."

"Where will Lian sleep?"

"With Roy and I," Jade responded, turning her attention back to her phone. Artemis pursed her lips in a hard line as she realized that her sister was playing Solitaire.

"And he's okay with that?"

She shrugged. "He wants to try 'co-sleeping'. So there goes our sex life."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that." She sat up and moved her feet off Jade so she could get comfortable. "Am I really in that bad a place?"

Jade set her phone down. Her lips parted and closed a couple of times, as if she was trying to choose her next words carefully. Artemis wasn't used to seeing her so unsure of herself.

"I'm worried about you Sis," she finally said.

"So that bad," Artemis responded, trying her best to smile but falling short. "The dog comes with me."

Jade sneered, looking to the snoring heap curled up by the door. "Is that negotiable?"

"Lian will love him. Dogs are great for babies."

"Great," Jade sighed in a manner that was all too similar to her husband's. "Roy will be thrilled."


	2. Moving In

Artemis had never pegged Jade as the kind of person who wanted to live by the beach.

She'd left her Palo Alto duplex for the last time that afternoon, juggling Brucely's leash in one hand and her duffel in the other. Jade had texted her the address that morning, telling her they'd be home around four. The text had come from a permanent number, which was odd for Jade. Usually when her sister texted, it was from a disposable phone that went out of service the moment Artemis tried texting back.

No sooner had she stepped out of the zeta tube did she grimace and lift a hand to block the blinding rays of California sun. Of all places in the world for Jade and Roy to live, Artemis would have expected an apartment in a secluded neighborhood in Gotham, or a private penthouse in New York. The bustling beach city of Long Beach didn't even make the list.

Sweat trickled down the back of her tank top as she exited the alley and followed her phone's directions towards Jade's apartment. Artemis hadn't been out of Palo Alto thirty minutes and she already longed for the cool, temperate air. Brucely didn't seem to mind the change too much. His large tongue flopped out of his mouth, entranced by all the new sights and various passerby that cooed at him. At least someone was enjoying the move.

The only person she'd told the full extent of her living situation was Dick. He was the only one of her friends who didn't make a face whenever she brought up her sister. Jade's reputation within the league was murky at best, considering she was no longer just an assassin in their records, but the wife to one of their former members. For now, considering Roy's alleged improvement and the lack of recent Cheshire sightings, the league turned a blind eye to Jade's whereabouts. Don't ask, don't tell and all that.

To the rest of her friends, she was moving and getting her life back on track. That's all they needed to know, and honestly what most of them wanted to hear.

Artemis' GPS landed her in front of a modest apartment building on the waterfront. A quick glance at her phone told her that it was past five, so they should be home. All she had to do was head inside.

Instead, she went towards the ocean.

Brucely was well-behaved enough that she could pop off his leash and let him chase the waves. Better he got out his energy now so he'd be calmer around Lian. The first time he'd met the baby, he'd made the mistake of jumping on Jade to get to her; Artemis had to wrestle the sai out of Jade's hand. She took a seat on the sand, still warm from the sunshine, watching as Brucely ran after some seagulls.

She still wasn't completely sure about living with Jade and Roy. Artemis hadn't seen Roy in a long time, not since he'd still been searching for Speedy. She'd gone over one day, brought over some casserole that M'gann had made. Really, Artemis just wanted the excuse to check in on him after Jade had left. Roy hadn't been a pretty sight to see, and the visit lasted less than ten minutes. They'd never gotten along before, so why had Jade suggested that she move in with them?

Better question: why had she agreed?

Artemis huffed out a deep sigh, trying to will herself to go inside. How bad could it be, really? Roy would sit in the corner and sulk, Jade would be Jade, and Lian would be the most normal of the three. Granted, she was still a baby, so that didn't count for much. Artemis waited until Brucely collapsed beside her, panting at a speed that would have alarmed her if it were any dog but hers.

She caressed his head, trying to give him a smile. "Think we're going to be okay?"

The dog glanced up at her and snorted. Artemis fought the urge to return the snort; his response matched well enough to the situation she'd put them in.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and glanced at the number, fighting the urge to groan as she answered.

"Are you going to sit out there and mope much longer?" Artemis scowled, turning her head to the building. On the uppermost balcony, Jade gave her a little wave.

"I'm not _moping_ ," Artemis snapped.

Jade hummed on the other line, and the blonde watched her retreat inside the apartment. "When you're done, come upstairs. Dinner will be done in an hour and you should unpack before it gets dark."

"I'm not hungry."

"Did I ask?" Before Artemis could respond, the call ended.

She plucked herself from the sand, brushing off any excess from her jeans. "Looks like our time is up," she muttered to Brucely, who just wagged his tail expectantly. Poor thing, he had no idea what was coming to him. Between an angry cat-lady who wanted to kill him, her neat freak of a husband and their violence-prone toddler, Brucely would have a rough go at it. Grabbing her things, she returned to the entrance of the building, scrolling through the list of names on the buzzer until she found 'Harper'.

" _Harper residence._ "

"It's me."

" _I'm afraid I don't know a 'me'. Is there a last name that goes with that?_ " Jade purred through the intercom.

Artemis hadn't even begun living with them and she could already feel the headache. "Your sister. The one you talked to about five minutes ago. Ring a bell?"

" _Oh, that 'me'. Do you have an appoint-_ " " _Jade, for god's sake buzz her in_ ," Roy's voice growled.

An annoyed sigh followed, likely Jade's, but the buzzer sounded and the door unlocked. According to Jade's text, they lived on the fourth floor, apartment 4D. Artemis found it easily enough after exiting the stairwell. She paused outside the door before lifting a hand to knock.

Her fist hadn't connected with the door before it opened. Jade stood in the open door, looking far too amused for Artemis' liking. "Heard your footsteps." She looked down and saw Brucely, the amusement melting off her face as her lips curled into a sneer. "You were serious."

"Duh."

With a dramatic sigh, Jade stepped aside to let her in. "He better be housebroken," she muttered, eyeing the dog as her sister entered the apartment. Before Artemis could get any farther, Jade pointed to the rack by the door. "Shoes off."

Artemis rolled her eyes but did as she was asked, slipping off her sneakers and adding them to the rack. Her hand still clutched onto Brucely's leash, just in case Lian was underfoot. The last thing she needed was for him to tackle Lian with affection; Jade might actually kill him that time. Her sister hadn't stuck around to watch her, so Artemis took the opportunity to scope out the apartment.

To her surprise, it all looked fairly normal. Judging by the beach motif present in the furniture, she assumed that they'd already bought the place furnished. Still, there were little touches that hinted that they lived here. A playpen lounged on the side of the couch. A set of china tea cups resting on the coffee table. Roy's quiver and arrows nested on the top of a bookshelf. A homey, savory smell permeated the small apartment. Chicken, she presumed. Artemis wasn't sure whether to be impressed or concerned.

"Does it pass inspection?"

Artemis glanced back to see her sister perched by the entrance to the kitchen, teacup in hand. Jade's wild mane was smoothed back into a twist, and the green cover up she wore could have easily come from any of the beach-side shops Artemis had passed on her walk to the apartment. It was incredibly unnerving.

"Do I get the grand tour?" she asked as Brucely pulled against the leash.

Jade raised a brow. "Have you never been inside an apartment before?"

"I see the change in scenery hasn't had any affect on your lack of hospitality."

If Jade was offended, she didn't show it. Instead she nodded to the hallway. "Yours is the first one on the left." She disappeared back inside the kitchen, leaving Artemis to fend for herself.

"Thanks," the blonde muttered to herself before pulling Brucely along to her new room. She opened the door, expecting Jade and Roy's secret weapons cache. Instead, she found a bed, a nightstand, and a closet. Artemis tossed her duffel onto the bed, taking off Brucely's leash. She flopped back on the firm bed with the seashell duvet, reaching out a hand to caress her dog.

"This day keeps getting weirder and weirder," she said under her breath. Wally would have found the whole thing hilarious, that was certain. Maybe it was hilarious. Out of all the places in the world, she'd gone to her sister's. At least there was privacy.

"What part of 'dinner's in an hour' did you mishear?"

Artemis jerked awake, rubbing her head. Brucely startled beside her, then huffed and resumed his nap. When her vision returned to normal, she saw her sister in the doorway, eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. "I fell asleep?" she asked, clearing her throat.

"Clearly. It's past seven."

"Shit, that long?" Artemis grumbled. Jade didn't answer. She passed her sister and opened the window, letting in a salty breeze that ruffled Artemis' disheveled ponytail. The sun was starting to set, lighting up the room in an orange glow. The smell of the sea reminded her of Happy Harbor, lazy days watching Dick get pounded by the waves. Wally eating too many hot dogs. Conner and M'gann kissing on the sand. It left a bittersweet taste in her mouth.

"I never took you for a beach lover," she said, getting up from the bed and stretching her arms behind her back.

"You still shouldn't," Jade scoffed.

"So then why here? Gotham no longer your style?"

Jade leaned her hands against the windowsill, staring off into the water. "Roy needed the sun." She lingered by the window for a few moments before turning back to her sister. "Dinner's in ten."

"I'm really not that hungry."

"Did I ask?" Jade repeated. "Bathroom's across the hall."

Artemis watched her go as she had so many times before. When she was nine, she'd watched her sister run away from home and leave her. Now she was watching her leave to take care of Lian. She snorted, sliding out the elastic from her hair.

Funny how things changed.


	3. Dinner For Four

Upon exiting the bathroom, Artemis was greeted to the happy gurgles of her eleven month old niece. The sound brought a rare smile to her face; if there was one good thing about living with her sister, it was that she would get to spend some more time with Lian. How Jade and Roy both managed to produce such a cute and charming little thing, she'd never know.

She returned to the living room, already expecting to hear her niece's garbled version of her name. From the sounds of it, Lian must be playing. Artemis snuck her phone out of her jeans, ready to capture the rare sight of her sister playing with her daughter; she'd put it on a Christmas card and send it to her mother.

Instead, she found Lian playing with an impressive assortment of silver knives.

Artemis didn't think twice before she dropped her phone, scurrying to pick up her niece and get her away from her chosen playthings. Lian squealed as she was scooped up so quickly, clapping her hands in delight. After a quick once-over, Artemis finally exhaled in relief as the baby appeared to be just fine.

"'Mis, 'Mis!" Lian cheered, grabbing a blonde lock of her aunt's hair and tugging excitedly. Wincing, Artemis tried to breathe through the sudden pounding in her heart, bouncing her little niece to calm herself down.

"Jade?"

"Kitchen."

Artemis carried Lian to the kitchen, still trying to wrap her mind around the image she'd just seen. Roy stood at the stove, stirring a pot. She knew she was being rude by not saying hello, but at the moment she had bigger things to address. Jade lounged at the kitchen table, glass of red wine in her hand. She looked up as Artemis entered, smirking once Lian cooed and reached for her. "Looks like you two are getting along."

"Did you know that I found her playing with _knives_?" Artemis hissed.

Roy stiffened and turned to look at his wife, brow furrowed in utter exhaustion. "Jade," he deadpanned, annoyance dripping from his voice. Clearly, this wasn't the first time this had happened.

Her sister shrugged, plucking Lian from Artemis and holding her close. "They were butter knives, Red."

"Like that makes it any better?" Artemis nearly screeched.

"Relax, Sis," Jade purred, grinning at Lian. "She likes it."

"That's besides the point, babies shouldn't play with knives!" Artemis turned to look at Roy in incredulous disbelief. "You're okay with this?"

"Of course I'm not okay with it," the redhead snapped, turning the burner off and glaring at Jade. "This is the last time we're having this discussion, Jade. No more knives; she's already prone to like violence, and I won't encourage it."

"Really, Roy?" Artemis said, watching as Lian began to get restless in Jade's arms. "Your problem is with her genetic tendencies, and not the fact that she could hurt herself?"

"She won't hurt herself," Jade scoffed. She carried Lian over to her highchair and buckled her in. "Ignoring the fact that Lian is my child and is too smart to hurt herself-"

"Our child."

"No, _my_ child still stands. Your logical reasoning skills are average at best," she corrected as Roy rolled his eyes. Artemis had to fight hard against the smirk forming. "Lian barely has the strength to pick up an apple, let alone hurt herself with a knife. Besides, they've all been dulled."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Artemis asked.

"I wasn't trying to make you feel better. If it really bothers the both of you so much, I'll find her some plastic toy knives to play with." Finished with the conversation, Jade strolled over to the cabinet and pulled out some baby cereal for Lian.

Artemis shook her head at her sister and turned to Roy. "You won't really let her do that, will you?"

"Trust me, downgrading to toy knives is going to be the most reasonable compromise I'll get from her. I'm not going to attempt any further," Roy sighed, pulling out three plates from the cupboard and watching as Jade poured out some cereal puffs on Lian's tray. "Hey, by the way," he greeted, nodding at Artemis.

"Hey," Artemis greeted back. "You cooked?"

"Chicken."

"It smells good."

"Would have tasted better an hour ago," Roy chided, unable to keep the irritation from penetrating his words.

Artemis held her hands up in defense. "Sorry. Didn't realize mealtimes were so strict." Roy grunted, somewhere between a scoff and a snort. There were bags under his eyes, and his t-shirt was too big on him. She hadn't had the pleasure of seeing Roy in the thick of his depression, but according to Wally, he'd really gone off the deep end in his search for Speedy. At the funeral, he still hadn't looked completely back to himself. It was a relief to see him acting so normal. Normal for Roy, at least.

Roy handed her two plates of food and she dutifully carried them to the table. Jade was watching Lian pick up the cereal puffs and shove them into her mouth with drool-covered fists. She grinned as Artemis set the plates down on the table. "Well, look at that. Treated like royalty in my own home."

"Shut it."

"Do you do dishes, too?"

Artemis scowled as Roy brought over the last plate and sat by Lian. "How do you put up with her?" Roy didn't answer. Instead he took some chicken from his plate and cut it up into small pieces. He made sure they were cool enough to eat before setting them on Lian's tray. The baby looked up at her dad and flashed him a gummy grin, peppered with a few baby teeth; Artemis pretended not to see the small grin Roy gave back.

"So," Jade began, wine glass in hand again. "Let's break the tension."

"Smooth, Jade," Artemis grumbled, stabbing at her chicken. It was hard to be mad at it when it tasted so good. She'd never known that Roy could cook this well.

"Someone had to. And it wasn't going to be Roy."

"She's got a point there," Roy agreed. "I'm better at causing tension."

Artemis chuckled. "Was that supposed to be a joke?"

"Was it funny?"

"Little bit," Artemis admitted. "You haven't returned to the league yet. I thought you'd be jumping to go back once you were back in shape." He hummed, looking away from Lian and directing his attention to Artemis.

"I extended my leave. Lian needs my full attention right now," he explained. Roy's eyes glanced over to his wife before he went quiet. "Most of my attention, at least." Jade didn't say anything in response, but from the way her eyebrow twitched it was clear that things still weren't fixed between them.

"Dada?"

"Yes, Sweetheart?" Roy answered on instinct, ears going pink when he realized that he had. He had no problem calling his daughter a variety of different pet names; it was other people's reactions that took some getting used to.

"Juice."

Before Roy could get up, Jade rested a hand on his shoulder and stood. "I'll get it," she insisted. "You still haven't touched your dinner."

Roy looked down at his plate, almost as if he'd forgotten that it was there. "Thanks," he mumbled, picking up his fork. "How did the chicken turn out?"

"It's good," Artemis complimented, taking another bite. Her appetite had been touch and go as of late, but she couldn't deny that this was the best food she'd had in months.

"Needs more salt." Jade returned to the table, handing Lian her sippy cup before she sat down again. "Stop glaring at me, Artemis. I was only kidding. Red knows I like his cooking."

Roy snorted. "Only because your cooking fails in comparison."

"Won't argue there," Jade agreed, but she couldn't hide her pleasure at his quip. They ate in comfortable silence, trying their best to pretend that it was normal. Lian certainly helped. She hummed as she ate, taking absolute pleasure in scooping up the bits of food her dad put on her tray.

When she cleared her tray, Lian threw her hands up in the air. "Done!"

"Good girl," Jade approved, smoothing down her daughter's hair. "Maybe you can teach your Dad a thing or two."

"I'm eating, Jade."

"She's talking more now," Artemis noted as Jade unbuckled Lian and sat her on her lap. Despite being 'done', Lian made to grab at Jade's plate, picking up a scoop of mashed potatoes and placing it into her mouth. "It's impressive for a one year old."

"She's not one yet."

"September fourteenth?"

"Sixteenth, Red," Jade reminded gently, slowly pushing her plate out of Lian's reach.

"Right, I… right," he said, a flicker of regret briefly flashing across his face as he laced his hands together. "She loves to talk. Walking is another story."

"She isn't walking yet?" Artemis asked. "Don't kids usually start toddling around this time?"

"Not this kid," Roy sighed. "We think she likes being carried too much."

Artemis watched as Lian licked the potatoes from her fingers. Eventually, she cut out the middleman and just stuck her whole hand in her mouth, sucking happily. "Who can blame her?" she noted, making a funny face when Lian looked her way. The baby giggled and flailed her arms, getting some potato residue on her mother. Jade didn't flinch; to Artemis' surprise, she smiled. A small one, but it counted.

"I think it's time for a bath."

"I got her," Artemis said, reaching for her niece. Jade raised a brow but Artemis shrugged. "Gotta pay board somehow. Finish dinner in peace while Lian and I get better acquainted." Her sister stared at her before she finally acquiesced and handed her daughter over.

"If you need us, just call out," Roy said. "She likes to splash. And the baby soap is on the rim of the tub. Don't use too much, she likes to eat the bubbles. Toys are in the cupboard under the sink. And-"

"Roy," Artemis interrupted. "We're going to be fine. Isn't that right, Lian? Your daddy is a big worrywart," she said, bouncing her niece.

"I am not a…" Roy trailed off before he leaned back in his seat. "Fine. Just call if you run into any trouble."

"I won't. Eat your dinner, Roy."

Jade snorted into her forkful of chicken.

* * *

Lian's cries woke her up around three in the morning. They stopped around three fifteen, but Artemis couldn't return to sleep. She wasn't surprised; Artemis hadn't slept a full night since Wally had ceased to exist.

At three thirty, she crawled out of bed. Brucely was on the alert, but he soon returned to sleep once determining that his owner was okay. Artemis rubbed his head and left the bedroom in hopes of sitting outside on the balcony. To her surprise, the door was already open. Jade sat on one of the chairs, holding a sleeping Lian to her chest.

"Did she wake you?"

"No," Artemis said, leaning against the doorframe. "I couldn't sleep." Jade nodded, pulling the blanket around Lian a little tighter when the breeze hit. They didn't speak for a little while, instead listening to the sound of the waves slapping the sand.

"You can sit, if you want."

"And if I don't?" Artemis tried to tease. She couldn't shake off how odd this was. Jade and her had never been that close. Not growing up, and especially not after Jade had left her behind. Once in a while, Jade would pop in for a random visit, but that was the extent of that. To live with her, to even sit beside her as she calmly held her daughter was more than a little jarring.

"Then you don't."

Artemis sat anyway. "Roy still asleep?"

Jade shook her head. "I don't think he's slept a full night since finding out he was a clone. Some days he'll only sleep an hour or two," she said, holding Lian closer when she fidgeted in her sleep. "He usually calms her down before I do."

"He looks good, Jade. Better than before."

"Better. But not there yet," Jade said. "Your boyfriend's death sent him spiraling again."

Artemis sucked in a breath. She hadn't been expecting this to come up; she was surprised that Jade was even talking to her in the first place. Her sister wasn't one to mention what happens behind closed doors. "But he seems to be improving. He's there for Lian, isn't that what you wanted?"

"More than anything. He's a good dad," she admitted, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Anybody would be a good dad compared to ours."

"Fair point. Crusher did set the bar pretty low."

Artemis didn't expect to laugh so early in the morning, but she did anyway. She leaned back in her seat, staring out to the sand. A figure appeared at a distance, slowly making its way closer to the apartment. "Is that Roy?"

Jade nodded. "He takes walks to clear his head."

"That's good."

"I prefer to fuck him into next week, but it's a little hard to do when there's a baby sleeping in between us."

Artemis grimaced, making sure that Lian was still asleep. "You're disgusting."

"No, I _was_ disgusting. Now I'm just moderately filthy." Jade pushed herself from the chair, taking her time as not to wake up Lian. "Got plans this Friday?"

"Not that I know of."

"Good." Jade shot her a grin. "You're babysitting."


	4. Breakfast For Three

Roy hardly looked her way anymore.

It was a startling difference from when they first started to see each other. Seven years ago, running into him on his desperate attempts to find Speedy had been fun. Roy hadn't exactly felt the same, but one could only deny a raging boner for so long. Once he'd finally let his morals slide, that's when the real fun had begun. Nights of furious passion, pressed up against walls and nearly screaming from the pain of pleasure. Frantic pounding, moans of delight; just the thought could make Jade smile.

There were the other moments, too. Roy toyed with her hair when he thought she was sleeping. Pressed side by side, lips turning blue in Vladivostok, sharing a bottle of questionable vodka to keep warm. Nights where she sat on the tile floor of a bathroom, holding his broken form as he sobbed in her lap, shaking from withdrawal. And more recent nights, where both of them lay in bed, watching over their sleeping daughter as if their lives depended on it.

Jade wasn't fool enough to think that Roy would be fixed once Speedy was found. If her sister's boyfriend hadn't died, he might of been back to himself by this point. Three months ago, he was smiling again. Sleeping for a few hours every night. Improving, but not for her sake. Lian was what motivated him to get out of bed in the morning. That all changed the moment he got the news. It was like the months of work she'd put in hadn't even happened. In a matter of minutes, Lian had been handed to her and he was out the door before she could stop him.

Three days had passed before he came back home, reeking of every booze under the sun. Roy's eyes were bloodshot, but focused. He'd mumbled something resembling an apology, unable to look at her. Jade could have said something, offered a condolence for his dead friend. But instead she remained silent, watching as he dragged himself to the shower. After a week of watching him skulk around their temporary apartment, she made the decision to move to California.

When she brought up the idea of Artemis moving in with them, it wasn't solely for her sister. Jade was selfish, she would be the first person to admit that. Before her sister's arrival, she could count the number of non-Lian centric conversations they shared on two hands. Some days, one hand was sufficient. It was maddening to watch her husband interact with everyone but her. She lay awake at night in their bed, body aching for _something_ while Roy kept himself busy. At least Artemis provided someone else to talk to.

"Jade?"

She looked up from her yoga mat, ponytail falling against her shoulder as she straightened up from downward-facing dog. Her husband stood in the doorway of the kitchen, holding Lian. She wasn't surprised that either of them were awake, despite it being just past dawn. She raised a brow at Roy, urging him to continue.

He flushed, averting his eyes as Jade pulled down her shorts. "Artemis is gone."

"She had a thing today. Mentioned it last night." Jade stretched her hands out in front of her, lengthening her muscles, tight from waking up not too long ago.

"Oh."

She held back the scowl that tried to curl on her lips; Roy hadn't bothered to hide his disappointment. Conversation over, Jade maneuvered herself up on her hands again, exhaling once she was upside-down and comfortable. Through her position, she could still see his feet. "Need something, Red?"

"I thought I'd make breakfast."

Jade huffed. "I'm in the middle of something."

"After, then. It'll be ready when you're done." Roy's feet retreated to the kitchen when she didn't answer. Doing her best not to grumble, she focused instead on keeping her breathing long and even to relieve the tension in her shoulders. To an outsider, his offer of breakfast would be seen as a peace offering. But Jade knew better. Breakfast would be a silent meal, punctuated by their daughter flinging Cheerios at them and Roy's pathetic attempts to get her to stop.

The smell of eggs wafted through the small apartment. It was accompanied by bacon, and toasted bread; they didn't keep it fancy at Chez Nguyen-Harper. Jade finished before he did and debated whether or not she was awake enough to deal with him more than she had to.

Lian giggled from the kitchen.

Despite her apprehension at spending more time with her husband, Jade smiled and entered the kitchen. She hung by the doorway, trying her best not to make a noise at the sight she found. The bacon was frying on the stove, but Roy crouched by the counter where their daughter sat, completely enthralled as her dad sang to her in an exaggerated, high-pitched tone. The baby couldn't contain her giggles, beaming wide and pawing at her dad's face, encouraging him to go on.

"Is Lian… sleepy?" Roy asked. Their daughter shook her head, laughing again. Roy smiled and poked her tummy. "Is she… sad?"

"No!"

Roy gasped. "No? Then I guess Lian must be… hungry!" he exclaimed before he scooped her up, covering her face with hearty kisses. Lian squealed in utter delight, kicking out her legs and unable to stop her laughter. Even Jade had difficulty containing herself; she was quick to wipe away any genuine pleasure the moment Roy turned and saw her there. He immediately cleared his throat, holding Lian closer.

"You saw all of that, didn't you?"

"It's not a crime to love your daughter," Jade waved off, brushing past him to make herself some tea. To her surprise, the electric kettle was already on, water hot and ready to go. "I would know."

"Our daughter," he corrected. Lian turned her head and grinned when she saw her mom, eagerly calling out and reaching for her. Jade grinned back at her, plucking her from Roy's arms and giving the top of her head a kiss.

"Sounds like you were having fun with Daddy." Lian nodded eagerly, reaching for a loose strand of Jade's hair and tugging hard. It was her favorite pastime, one that she hadn't grown out of yet. "Lian, that hurts," Jade muttered, trying to wrangle her hair from her daughter's grip. Lian didn't budge, and instead yanked harder until Jade's ponytail was completely askew.

"I can help," Roy offered.

"I'm fine." Jade finally managed to release her daughter's hand and set her in her highchair. "Cereal?"

Lian nodded, slamming her hands down on the tray until a bowl of Cheerios was set before her. Only once her hands were full of cereal did she finally calm down. Roy set Jade's tea on the table for her, returning with their plates right after. "Thanks," Jade muttered, taking a seat.

As expected, they ate without speaking. Jade browsed the messages on her phone, trying to ignore the Cheerios flying every which way. She'd clean it up later, probably. She had a few emails that needed replying to. Important emails, but ones that could wait until she was alone. If she were a normal person, she might have sent a text to Artemis, asking if she was okay. Or she'd send a picture of Lian to her mother. She did neither of those things, instead deciding to browse the news.

"Anything good?" Roy asked.

Jade shook her head. "Quiet day."

"Did Artemis say when she was coming back?"

She snorted, ignoring the annoyance budding in her chest. "What's it to you?"

"Aren't you worried? You're the one who asked her to move in with us."

Jade took a sip from her tea, opening up another news article. "She's a big girl, Red. I'll tell her you care."

"Forget it. You're impossible today." She closed the tab on her phone, leaning back against the chair; something was up. In the seven months they'd been living together, this was the first time he attempted to make conversation. "What?" Roy asked, seeing her look. She didn't respond immediately, instead watching as he plucked a stray Cheerio out of his coffee.

"You want something."

Roy smirked. "Impossible, but perceptive," he noted, bringing the mug to his lips. Lian whined in her highchair; Jade looked at her and noticed that the Cheerios were gone. She tore off a small piece of her bacon, handing it to her..

"So?"

"Hm?"

Jade narrowed her eyes. "If you want something, Roy, you have to say it."

He sighed, glancing at Lian to make sure she was eating the bacon before clearing his throat. "Artemis mentioned that you wanted her to babysit Lian tonight."

In all honesty, Jade had forgotten that she'd asked that. Still, she played it oblivious, taking her mug in her hands. "What's it to you?"

"I don't know, I…" Roy trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck. "I thought you had sparring planned for us, or something."

"Nope."

"Oh." Jade couldn't deny her confusion at his disappointment. She was all the more surprised when he lifted his eyes to meet hers. "Do you… want to do something anyway?"

"Do something?"

"Yeah. It's been a while since we had a night to ourselves."

Jade set the mug down, folding her arms across her chest. "You want to go out tonight?"

Roy shrugged. "Don't sound so surprised. We're still married, aren't we?"

"I'm surprised you remembered." It came out colder than Jade intended. The words were enough to push Roy away. He picked up his plate and carried it to the sink, starting to wash the dishes. Jade sighed, her appetite finished. It was just like her to ruin a moment. For months she'd wanted their relationship to progress, and in one conversation she'd ruined it.

She carried over the dishes to the sink, pausing by her husband. "You want to go out tonight?" she repeated.

Roy turned the water off, his hands limp in the sink. "I'm trying, Jade. But not if you don't want me to." He took the plates from her and continued to wash them as if he hadn't said anything. Jade swallowed, knowing he was right. If she wanted it, all she had to do was reach out and take it.

"I don't want to spar," she said, unbuckling Lian from her highchair.

"We don't have to. We can go see a movie."

Jade almost wanted to laugh. In all the time she'd known him, they'd never once been out on a real outing. But things were different now. Things were changing. "Nothing cheesy, Red."

He lifted his head, and her heart ached at the hope lingering in his eyes; it had been a while since she'd seen him look at her like that. Roy waited for her to change her mind, to laugh or curse and shut him out like she'd always done before. But nothing came. Jade rested Lian on her hip, trying to tug the hair tie out from her mangled ponytail. "Artemis will be home by seven."

"Perfect." Roy walked over, moving her hands away from her hair. She held Lian as he gently fished out the hair tie, kissing the top of her head before handing it back to her. "Seven it is."


	5. A Date With Disaster

"I can't believe you asked Jade out on a date."

Artemis sat on the floor of the living room, holding Lian's hands and keeping her steady on her feet as she bounced. The tot babbled as she did so, looking between her aunt and father, laughing every now and again. Roy's lips curled upward at Artemis' words, almost like a grimace. "I didn't ask her on a date."

"Sure sounded like a date," she muttered, making a face at Lian, who erupted into a fit of giggles. Artemis had been with M'gann when Jade's text had come through, asking her to be home at six instead of seven. No sooner had she stepped through the door was Lian handed off to her with a promise that Jade would return in an hour. "What else would you call it?"

"I'm just taking her out." Roy checked the time before he stood; It was nearly seven, and he was still in his sweats. Jade wasn't home yet, and he wasn't entirely certain that she would show, but he would be ready to go either way.

Artemis rolled her eyes, glancing back at her niece who was staring after her retreating father. "Your parents are such dorks," she said, helping her bounce again. "They are so going on a date."

"I'm taking her out!" Roy called back from his bedroom.

"You and I both know she could take you out twice over before you lay a finger on her." Artemis looked back at her niece and smiled. "That's right, Kiddo. Your daddy couldn't take her out if his life depended on it."

"Cute. Very cute, Artemis." He returned to the living room, pulling on a shirt.

Artemis raised a brow. "A t-shirt, really?"

"I told you, it's not a date. We're just spending some time together, is all."

She rolled her eyes; he could deny all he wanted, but the two were going on a date. Why both of them had to be so weird about it, she'd never guess. "So what are you two going to get up to?" Artemis asked, letting go of Lian's hands, and pushing forward some of her toys. "Jumping over rooftops? A jewelry heist?"

Roy shook his head, pausing by the mirror in the hallway and fixing his hair. "Dinner. Thought I'd take her to that little Italian place on the corner."

"Jade hates Italian." She didn't; Artemis just wanted to be see the look on Roy's face when she said it. It was every bit of delicious as she thought it would be. "Looks like you need a plan B."

The front door unlocked before he could even think to come up with one. Jade strolled in, caught off guard at the three of them staring at her. "A picture lasts longer, you know," she hummed, taking off her shoes and tossing her bag to the side.

"You're early."

"Am I?" Jade looked up at the clock. "Guess I am. You ready?"

"Just about. Five minutes and I'll be good to go," he said, stumbling over one of Lian's toys in his haste to get to the bedroom. The two women exchanged a look, but Jade hid her snicker while Artemis reveled in it. She never expected to see Roy so nervous; it was almost endearing.

"So," she began, the snicker turning into a smirk. "Date night, huh?"

"What are you, five?" Jade asked, rolling her eyes. "Trust me, we won't be long."

"I wouldn't know about that," Artemis simpered. "He has a plan."

"Roy's plans never work. Believe me, Sis. I followed far too many of them." Jade crouched down to the floor, joining her sister and picking up Lian so she was sitting in her lap. Artemis didn't think she would ever get used to the softness on Jade's face. When she looked at her, she remembered her twelve-year-old sister covered in a man's blood and unaffected, having just killed per their father's orders. She thought of the rigid assassin she'd become, always poised and ready with a biting remark. Now she sat before her, relaxed with a baby on her lap, arms tender but protective.

"Anything I should know?"

Jade handed Lian a plastic ring she'd been reaching for. "About what?"

"Watching your daughter. Rules or instructions… or something."

"You seem to have a handle on things." Jade pulled Lian back and looked her over before nodding. "She looks pretty satisfied to me."

"Roy?"

Said redhead exited the bedroom, sliding into a jacket. "You rang?"

"Anything I should know about babysitting?" Artemis asked, plucking Lian out of her sister's arms and ignoring her annoyed scoff.

Roy came closer and looked Lian over before tickling her under the chin. "She looks happy to me. Keep doing what you're doing."

Any doubts that Artemis had on how Roy and Jade could work together were only further quelled; the two were far too alike for their own good. Roy held his hand out to help Jade up, and to Artemis' surprise, Jade took it. She bounced Lian in her arms, giving a slight cough. "So, no rules. Got it. Have her home by midnight," she teased.

"Funny," Jade crooned, shooting her sister a look as she put on her shoes again. "Don't wait up, Sis. Trouble might be in our forecast. The local jail's number is on the fridge," she called back as she exited through the front door.

Roy watched her go, shaking his head. "She's kidding. I hope." He bent down and pressed a kiss to his daughter's head. "Bye, Lian. If you need us, I have my phone on me."

"I won't need you. Have fun on your date," she teased, making Lian wave goodbye. The girl scrunched her face and twisted away, instead moving to yank on Artemis' ponytail.

Roy smirked, ruffling Lian's hair. "That's right, Baby girl. You defend your Daddy." He gave her one last kiss and turned to leave, throwing up a hand in goodbye.

Artemis should have sat back down and continued playing with Lian, but she didn't. Instead she gave them thirty seconds, just long enough for them to get far away enough from the front door so she could open it and eavesdrop. She couldn't help it, she was curious; it was likely that she wouldn't get a single detail out of either of them regarding their outing, so it was only fair that she take what she can get. Luckily, they were slow enough walkers that she was able to catch the tail end of a conversation.

"-didn't pick a movie, did you?"

"You said nothing cheesy. I thought dinner."

"The Italian place on the corner?"

"Artemis said you hate Italian."

Roy's head snapped to the doorway, just fast enough for him to see a flash of blonde hair and hear the ghost of a chuckle.

* * *

Halfway through dinner, it occurred to Jade that going out with her husband may have been a dumb idea.

In the six years she'd known him, they had never once been on a real _date_ with him. They'd spent an ungodly amount of time together and tried every sex position in the Kama Sutra, and yet somehow, they'd run out of things to say before their entrees had even arrived. It was almost painful, and she couldn't help but feel out of place.

The sad thing was, it wasn't even his fault; it was hers. He'd done everything right. Upon leaving the building, Roy told her she looked nice; for once, she had no response to shoot back. The restaurant he'd picked was quaint, even romantic. Any second, she expected some poor sucker to get on his knees and propose. Roy had attempted conversation a few times, but she couldn't even keep it going. The couple at the table next to them were having a grand old time, laughing and unable to shut up. Yet her and Roy were silent, occasionally drinking their waters or sneaking glances at their phones.

Jade wasn't cut out for this; that much was clear.

"Lian learned another word today," Roy said, cutting through the silence.

Jade raised a brow. "Which?"

"Apple. Or, well… a garbled version of apple. She'll get there," he chuckled.

She hummed in response, looking back down at her phone. Their night had barely started and yet Jade was counting down until it could end. She wasn't sure why she'd expected anything otherwise, it's not like they were meant to have anything resembling a normal relationship.

"Did I do something wrong?"

Jade looked up from her phone. "What gave you that impression?"

"You won't talk to me. I keep trying and… and you just give me a two word response and go back to your phone," he said, leaning forward in his seat. "I fucked up, didn't I?"

Her eyes softened and she put her phone down. "You didn't."

"Then why won't you talk to me?"

"I don't have much to say." It was partly true. Jade sighed, tilting back into her chair. "Every time you talk, it's about Lian. All we ever talk about is Lian."

"She's our daughter, Jade. Are we not supposed to talk about her?"

Jade shook her head. "That's not what I'm trying to say. Just forget it, it doesn't matter."

"Well clearly it does." Roy held his hand out, offering it to her. "I want to hear it."

She glanced down at his hand, but she didn't take it this time. This wasn't the right place to have this conversation. Not among the other happy patrons. But she was never one for fitting in, so Jade just let out a deep breath and finally looked him in the eyes. "Maybe it's time we finally admit that there's nothing else connecting us together."

Roy narrowed his eyes. "You don't mean that; you can't."

"Don't I?" Jade crossed her arms. "Face it, Roy. We never should have gotten married in the first place. It was fun, while it lasted. But you and I were never endgame."

The words felt unnatural, rolling off her tongue. She'd heard them repeated so many times in her mind, like a mantra. It was something her father had told her shortly after he'd found out she was pregnant. An idiot, he'd called her.

Roy didn't answer, and he didn't have to, as their waitress returned with their entrees. Jade didn't have much of an appetite anymore, and she stared at her pasta as if it had personally accused her of murder. The air was growing too suffocating, and any minute now she felt as if she were going to choke. She kept hearing laughter and conversations, meanwhile she had caused nothing but silence and it was too much.

She stood, throwing some cash at the table. "I need air."

"Okay."

Even then, she could have kissed him. He was so understanding, so knowing, even though she'd been ruining everything since they'd sat down. Without another look at him, she left the restaurant and took off on a run, sprinting like her life depended on it.

Jade couldn't stop until her lungs gave way to the fire and she sank to the ground, gasping for air. Only once her breathing was under control did she sit up and take note of her surroundings. She was on the beach, closer to their apartment. The building had a private beach, and it was dark out so there were no other patrons. Just her, still trying to breathe. She pulled herself off the sand, sitting so her knees were pulled up against her chest.

As much as she loathed to admit it, Lawrence was right; she was fooling herself if she thought she deserved a happy ending. Roy and Jade had never been a normal couple, but for God's sake, she couldn't even sit through one dinner without blowing everything to shit. It didn't change the fact that she loved him. She did, and she always would, but the truth remained that she had no business being in his life anymore. Roy had Lian; and that would be enough.

She lost track of time, staring out into the calm waves. It could have been minutes, hours, even years for all she cared. Jade didn't want to go back to that restaurant and face the fact that she could never give her husband the wife he deserved. She was nothing close to that. At some point, he would see it too. Jade would give it a few more weeks, make sure he and Lian were taken care of, and then disappear into the night.

Maybe that was the real reason she'd had Artemis move in with them; she would fit in better in the family than she ever could.

"Jade?"

She didn't turn to look at him; it was a wonder that he'd even gone looking. Roy nestled in the sand beside her, setting down a bag behind him, likely their leftovers.

"Do you remember Switzerland?"

Jade scoffed, adjusting the baseball cap on her head. "We spent two months there, how could I forget?"

"I wish I remembered more of it." Roy exhaled, resting his palms on either side of him.

"Heroin will do that to a person."

"So I've heard." He shifted slightly, so he was facing more towards her. "But I remember the night I asked you to marry me."

She turned to look at him. "You don't. You had to have been high off your mind to come to that conclusion."

Roy shook his head, slowly reaching out and taking off her baseball cap. Jade jerked back on instinct, tensing up once he put it down at her side. He didn't react, instead he toyed with the ends of her ponytail. "I was sober. You were the one who kept me going, most days. If it wasn't for you, I'm not sure I would still be alive."

"That's bullshit. You kept yourself alive after I left."

"Jade. If you hadn't of returned when you did, I have no doubts that the only place I would be is in a grave. You saved my life more times than I could count."

"So what, you married me because I'm your savior?" She scoffed, smacking his hand away from her hair. "Fuck off, Roy."

"Shut up and let me talk," he barked. "Just shut up. I know you're good at it, because you did it all through dinner. So let me say what I have to say and then you can have your share."

Jade had to admit she was a little surprised; it had been a while since she'd heard this side of him come out. A long while. She narrowed her eyes, but said nothing, waiting for him to continue.

"Thank you. I'm not good with my words. I don't know if that's because I'm a clone, or maybe a new part of who _I_ am, but… what I'm trying to say is that I didn't make a mistake when I asked you to marry me. I knew I wanted to be with you, is all," he said. "I've been a shitty husband."

"Roy-"

He shushed her quickly."No, shut up. I'm still talking. And it's true, Jade. Ever since you came back, I've been so fucking afraid of screwing everything up again with you that I haven't even tried. You think I don't want you? That I don't think about you all the fucking time? The reason I only talk about Lian with you is because I know if I talk about anything else, I'll throw you against the wall and have sex with you until next week. But I don't deserve that. I've messed everything up."

"You didn't, Roy."

He gently grabbed her chin, tilting it upwards. "Stop making excuses for me. You deserve so much more than what I can give you. I'm sitting there in the restaurant like a dumbass, and then it hit me that I never should have taken you to a fucking restaurant. It isn't us, Jade." Roy laughed, light and hiccupy. "We won't ever be that couple."

Jade didn't know what to say. It was everything she'd been wanting him to say for so long, and if she responded with the wrong thing, she would ruin everything. She didn't deserve him, but she wanted him. "You love me, Red?"

"Thought that much was clear, Chesh. It won't ever change."

She nodded and rested a hand against his neck, pulling him in for a kiss. Roy moaned into it and didn't even protest when she climbed on top of him, pushing him down into the sand. It had been far too long since they'd done this together. Jade pulled away first, panting hard and staring down into her husband's face. Roy tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear before kissing her cheek. "We can make this work, Jade. But only if you want to."

"We'll see how it goes," she breathed back, kissing him quick again. "I have an idea for something a little more our speed."

"Yeah?"

Jade smirked, pulling off her top. She couldn't deny that Roy's unwavering attention only turned her on more. "Curfew isn't until midnight. Fancy a midnight swim?"

"You're not hungry?"

She grinned, trailing a hand down his chest and stopping right on his crotch. "Not for pasta, Red."


	6. Babysitting

Babysitting wasn't so hard.

Artemis had never seen herself as a motherly person, by any definition of the word. Really, she hadn't given kids much thought at all before her and Wally had gotten together. Even then, they'd both known it was a long way off. Aside from a couple comments on how cute their future offspring would be, they hadn't even discussed it. She knew Wally had wanted kids, someday, and she'd accepted it.

There had been a short period of time, in the weeks after his ceasing, that Artemis bought a bag full of pregnancy tests. Just in case. Zatanna had found her once, crying on the floor of the bathroom with three negative tests all around her, insisting that now she had nothing. Not exactly a highlight of her summer. At the time, having Wally's baby seemed like the perfect way to remember him by. Looking back, she wanted to shake herself for being so illogical. With him gone, the only kids in her future would be the pre-teenage kind; 'mentor' sounded a whole lot more appealing than 'mother'.

Still, there was something about Lian that was so _easy_. An adjective she never would have guessed would be used to describe any offspring of her sister's. Upon first learning about Lian, Artemis could only imagine the little terror she would grow up to become. She never would have expected her to turn out to be such a sweet little thing.

Artemis wasn't sure if it was genetics, the parenting, or sheer luck; all three bore equal chances as to how her niece turned out.

"Boosey," Lian insisted, clapping her hands and trying to scoot closer to the dog. When he heard his name, Brucely wagged his tail for a quick moment. Upon realizing that it was his new torturer, he scampered away to the kitchen. Artemis couldn't help but laugh at the disappointment on Lian's face, smoothing back her hair.

"I told you, Babe, he doesn't forgive easy. You pulled his tail one too many times."

"Boosey!"

"Who needs Brucely when you have your cool aunt Artemis?" she asked, picking up Lian and holding her over her head, making her fly. That quickly eliminated any displeasure on the baby's face, instead morphing into utter glee.

Artemis laughed again, making her niece fly for a few moments before setting her down in front of her toys. "What do you suppose Mama and Daddy are up to?" she asked, handing Lian a couple of blocks. The blocks fascinated her enough to miss Artemis' question, thus no answer.

It was a wonder Jade had agreed to go out with Roy at all. Artemis could only imagine how terrible the night would go. "It's going to go one of two ways, Lian," she explained, helping her build a block tower. "Either your Mama and Daddy are going to fight, or they're going to have sex. You know what that means?"

Lian ignored her, knocking down the block tower and cheering in delight.

"It means," Artemis said, building up the tower once again, "that either way, I'm going to end up with a headache. But between you and me, I think I'd prefer the sex," she muttered.

The baby nodded thoughtfully. "Sex," she repeated, picking up a block and trying to place it at the top of the small tower.

Artemis' eyes widened and she balked, unsure of what to say. Her first thought was that Roy was going to kill her. The immediate afterthought was that she didn't care, because this was hilarious. "We're going to keep this little development between the both of us, cool?" she asked.

In response, Lian knocked down the tower again; it was close enough to an agreement.

They played together for a while, building block towers and tossing different toys around. At some point, Lian started to stick everything in her mouth so Artemis gave her a pacifier. All in all, Lian was a very low-maintenance baby; it was no wonder how Jade got along with her so well.

Around nine, Artemis' phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out, her stomach sinking when she saw the name on the text. While part of her, the weaker part, told her to ignore it, she couldn't. Artemis hadn't heard from him since the funeral. Her fingers were clumsy as she dialed him, praying that he wouldn't send yet another one of her calls to voicemail.

Luck was on her side, today.

"You're in Gotham?"

" _Promised Tim a visit. Thought I'd see if you were around._ "

Artemis smiled, curling her legs underneath her and handing Lian one of her toy trucks. "No such luck, Grayson. Thought the world's greatest detective would know that."

" _He's been a little off his game lately. Where are you?_ "

"Long Beach."

" _Working on your tan_?"

She scoffed. "Not quite. I'm babysitting."

" _I hope the kid is cute, at least_."

"The cutest." Lian squealed in discontent as Artemis ignored the rattling toy she tried to give her. Her aunt mouthed an apology and took the toy, shaking it and bopping her on the head. "I'm watching my niece."

Dick hummed on the other end. " _I was wondering why Cheshire had gone quiet._ " There was no judgement in Dick's voice. Her other friends, they either wouldn't ask, or there would be a note of discontent in their voices when they did. Everyone who met Lian loved her. It was just her parents' relationship they disapproved of. " _She and Roy still trying to make things work?_ "

"They're on a date. God only knows what kind of trouble they're getting up to."

" _Want some company?_ "

"Maybe not tonight. Lian's being very insistent for her aunt's full attention," Artemis said, pulling her niece onto her lap and cuddling her. "But soon. I want to see you."

" _Miss me?_ "

"More than you know, Batboy. Have you finally come out of hiding?"

Dick laughed, but it was forced. " _You could say that. Fancy a trip to the east coast next week?_ "

"You mean you don't want to experience the California sun?"

" _Thought we could go to Bibbo's. Like old times_."

It took a second for Artemis to come up with a response. Her, Wally and Dick had spent far too many evenings at Bibbo's, gorging on milkshakes and french fries, pretending to study but doing anything but. The team had used to go, too. They would order one of everything on the menu and Wally would eat anything they didn't finish. It would never be like old times.

" _Maybe not Bibbo's_ ," Dick said to her silence. " _Pizza?_ "

"Yeah, Pizza works," she sighed, holding Lian closer to her chest. She was so lucky that she was too young for heartache. "I just want to see you."

" _I want to see you too, 'Mis. Talk soon, okay?_ "

"You got it, Dick."

* * *

Artemis was never, ever going to let them live this down. Not long after she finished her conversation with Dick, she spied the ever telling flash of blue and red lights. At first she hadn't looked outside, figuring it was just a drug-bust, or some overzealous teenagers getting caught. The aching urge to spy took over and she finally opened the balcony door to observe.

The sight of Jade and Roy, barely clothed and in handcuffs was something she was never going to forget. It didn't take five minutes before she was down there, planning to do some damage control.

"Well look at what we have here," Artemis simpered, smirking at her sister and brother-in-law. "I thought you said she was kidding, Roy."

"Miss, this is a private matter. I suggest you take yourself elsewhere," the policeman urged, nodding towards the street.

"I'm their family. You mind telling me what they're being charged with?" Artemis asked, turning her gaze to Jade who looked far too comfortable for her liking.

"Indecent exposure. Having sex in public is a misdemeanor, Ma'am." Artemis' eyes narrowed at her two roommates. On the one hand, she couldn't believe that they were stupid enough as to do this; on the other, she wasn't surprised in the least.

Jade rolled her eyes. "We don't need your help, Sis. I was handling it just fine," she insisted in Vietnamese, only to be shoved by Roy, who was nearly as red as his hair.

"Just get us out of here. I'm cold and this is embarrassing," he muttered back, his Vietnamese not nearly as polished as his wife's.

"Really?" Jade cocked her head to the side. "More embarrassing than the time you-"

"Shut up, Jade. For the love of whatever is up there, I'm begging you."

Artemis shook her head before looking to the officer. He was young and a little naive looking; this wouldn't be too hard to get out of. She'd managed to get out of worse. "Right. Well, as you can see, these two are tourists," she explained, rocking Lian's stroller back and forth when she felt her shifting. The last thing they all needed was for her to wake up and start screaming. "They didn't know what they were doing."

"Tourists?" the officer frowned, glancing at Jade, who grinned, and then Roy. "The both of them?"

"That's a little racist, don't you think?" Artemis asked, turning her glare on the officer. "They're visiting me from Vietnam. These two idiots didn't know any better."

"I'll need to see their passports," the policeman said, wavering a bit when Jade winked at him.

"Look, Officer, I'll be honest with you," Artemis began, leaning against the stroller. "This can go one of two ways. You can wait here for me to get their passports, arrest them, and take them to court. But I assure you, this trial won't be as cut and dry as you think."

"Are you threatening me?" the policeman asked, narrowing his eyes.

Artemis held up her hands. "Not at all, Sir. I'm just saying, you don't seem to have a lot of evidence. Are you sure you caught them having sex?"

"They were in the water, Ma'am."

"Yes, but they still have their underwear on," she said, nodding to the two.

"Not by choice," Jade piped up. "Roy was being so awfully slow."

"Shut _up_ , Jade."

Artemis pretended to listen to them before looking back at the policeman. "They were intending on going skinny dipping and got carried away. How can I be sure that you're not prejudicing against them because they're foreign?"

"Well, I-"

"Look, I don't want a case, and I'm pretty sure you don't. So why don't you let these two off with a warning and let the embarrassment of being caught be enough of a punishment?" Artemis concluded before nodding to the baby in the stroller. "If not for them, do it for their poor child, who has to live with these idiots."

"I can't just let them _go_ -"

"If you need a crime to bust, I heard a scuffle coming in that direction," she said, gesturing to the busy street.

The policeman looked between Artemis to Jade and Roy before he finally sighed and moved to uncuff them. "A warning," he agreed. "Make sure they're well versed on the law here in America. Next time, they won't be so lucky."

"I assure you, there won't be a next time," Artemis promised.

Jade grinned as she was uncuffed, drinking in the young policeman without hesitation. "I wouldn't be so sure about that. I'd get in all kinds of trouble just to see him again," she purred, still in Vietnamese.

"No, you won't," Roy growled, rubbing his wrists and trying to locate his pants.

Once the policeman was out of sight, Artemis glared at the two. "I can't believe you let yourselves be caught. Really, don't you two know any better?"

Jade shrugged. "We've never been caught before. I thought it would be kinky."

Her husband immediately whirled on her, blue eyes wide. "You _knew_?"

"Of course. Did you really think that I didn't know a rent-a-cop was sneaking up on us. I'm more surprised that you _didn't_ know."

Artemis snickered. "She has a point. No wonder the Shadows found you out." She could tell that Roy was about to explode, so she shushed him before he could, nodding to Lian who was still miraculously asleep. "Wouldn't want to wake the baby, now would you?"

"Well, that was fun. It was nice to speak Vietnamese for a bit," Jade mused, slipping into her clothes far too easily. "You should really work on yours, Red. Your pronunciation is atrocious."

"You're awfully calm for someone who almost just got arrested. What would have happened if they found you out, Jade?" Artemis scolded, pushing the stroller back to the apartment once the two were dressed. "There are hotels for a reason, you know."

"We weren't thinking," Roy muttered. "It won't happen again."

"Right, like I believe that. Please, next time, be a little more careful. I had to drag your baby out here, and it's chilly, and she could get sick," Artemis continued. "If this had gone any further, I probably would have had to get Ollie involved, and we all know how that would have turned out. So next time you guys are feeling kinky, try a sex shop," she muttered, turning to look at them.

But they were gone.

"For fuck's sake," she muttered, shaking her head as she entered the lobby of the apartment. Still, she wasn't surprised. At least she didn't have to worry about their thwarted sexcapade taking place in the room next to hers. "Your parents suck," she said to her sleeping niece as they entered the elevator.

Still, at least they seemed to be getting along better. It would make meals a lot more enjoyable; before she could cut the tension between them with a knife. Hopefully this was the start of the two of them working out their issues.

She exited the elevator and rolled the stroller towards the apartment, looking forward to nothing more than a quiet night of Netflix and wine. Instead, Artemis was greeted with a folded paper on the door. She raised a brow and opened it.

 _Thanks for the breakout, Sis. Door will be unlocked before midnight._

"No. No, this is not happening," Artemis growled, banging on the door. "Jade! Jade, I swear to god, you better open this door right fucking now," she growled, reaching in her pocket for her key. But it was gone. She swore she heard a chuckle from inside the apartment, followed by a concerning amount of banging.

Artemis groaned, sliding down the wall and banging the door for good measure, pulling out her phone again. "Correction, Lian. Your parents are the fucking worst."


	7. Baby Steps

Before Artemis had realized, she'd been living with Jade and Roy for two weeks.

It was odd, how quickly time passed when she had a schedule to keep her occupied. Her days started before the sun was up, woken by Lian's cries. She'd lie in bed and listen to Jade and Roy attempt to get Lian back to sleep. Some nights, Roy would sing. Others, Jade would tell a story. Not that her sister knew any stories; usually it was a less-violent recount of a Cheshire outing that Roy tiredly attempted to sanitize. Usually, these attempts worked. On the days that it didn't, Roy would take Lian out for a walk on the beach, and Jade would do her exercises in the living room. Afternoons were spent on the beach or running errands, avoiding any of her own responsibilities and instead helping Roy and Jade with theirs. Evenings were abnormally domestic, dinner and watching Lian play while a movie played in the background; at some point, Artemis would turn her back and the married couple would be gone, leaving her to babysit.

There was a part of her that wished her sister and Roy never rekindled their relationship. The selfish, very _tired_ part who was sick of being locked out of the apartment at odd hours of the day. Some days, the two of them were like animals in heat; one glance was all it would take.

Still, Artemis couldn't deny that it was nice to see them happy. Their own version of happy, anyway.

The awkward silences at mealtimes had all but disappeared. Instead, there were forced conversations, made all the more uncomfortable by Jade's lack of regard for anyone's emotions but her own. A couple of times now, Artemis had seen Roy smile, which was unsettling, to say the least. On three different occasions, Jade attempted to cook. Each attempt was worse than the last; Even Lian wouldn't stomach whatever concoctions her mother had managed to produce, and she ate almost everything.

For the most part, though, living with her sister wasn't the worst thing in the world. It definitely beat living on her own, spending her days on the couch with nobody but Brucely to keep her company. Or living with her ever-hovering mother, who would pity her and make her tea. No, there was definitely no pity at the Nguyen-Harper household. Artemis was held to the same standard as any other member, and for that, she was almost grateful.

It was easy to ignore most of her own problems; especially when she turned her phone off and hid it under her pillow. Her lunch date with Dick was easily avoided, blown off with a text saying she couldn't make it. When she'd made the plans with him, she couldn't imagine anything better than catching up over pizza. But as it grew closer, and closer, her mind wandered. Her stomach clenched in an awful nausea that prevented her from thinking of anything other than Wally. After a night of tossing and turning, she called it off.

The more time she spent with her sister's family, the less she spent with her's. Calls from M'gann were left unanswered, Zatanna's texts ignored. Kaldur had written her fifteen emails, and she left them all unread. Artemis wasn't dumb, of course; she knew that sooner or later they were bound to catch up with her. But for the meantime, she was more than content to watch toddler shows with Lian and live off a diet of goldfish and organic apple juice.

"You know the whole organic thing is a myth," Artemis pointed out, waving a carrot stick in Roy's direction. The redhead pretended he didn't hear her, instead screwing the cap of Lian's sippy cup back on. "Regular apple juice is perfectly fine for a toddler."

"I keep telling him that. We survived on the crap from the dollar store, and look how attractive we turned out," Jade said, leaning against the fridge and blocking her husband from putting the juice back. He raised a brow, waiting for her to move away. Artemis could see the gears working in both their heads, so she stepped between them, shoving her sister out of the way to return it.

"Idiots," she muttered.

Roy blushed, his neck burning as he handed the sippy cup to his daughter. "Here you go," he said softly before looking at Artemis. "We didn't do anything. You're jumping to conclusions," he tried to defend, resting a hand on his daughter's hair.

Lian nodded, grabbing her sippy cup with two pudgy hands. "Sex."

As guilty as Artemis was that her niece had learned that from her, the flush of embarrassment and shame on Roy's face made it all worth it. Jade snickered, sauntering over and trailing her fingernail across his shoulders. "It's genetics," she purred.

"You have _got_ to stop saying that." Roy ducked away from her, starting to clean up the juice he'd spilled on the counter. "And for the record, organic is not a myth."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Have to side with Jade here. Dollar store apple juice is just as satisfactory."

"I can't believe you're saying I should buy Lian juice from the dollar store."

"I'm not saying you _should_ , I'm saying that it's ridiculous that you spend six dollars on that organic shit when it's a hoax," she explained, picking up an apple from the bag on top of the fridge. "You're too uptight."

"She's already at risk with my clone genetics, I'm not taking any more chances." Jade and Artemis both turned to look at him after he spoke. The room fell quiet, and the sisters exchanged a glance.

"Red," Jade said, her voice soft. When he didn't respond, she stood and rested a hand on his shoulder, lifting a finger to his chin and tilting upwards. Artemis lowered her eyes, growing uncomfortable at the intimacy of the simple gesture. She couldn't shake the feeling that this was something she wasn't meant to see. Instead, she took Lian's hand, shaking it so the baby smiled.

"We gotta get you some real sugar, Babe. No more pretend shit," she teased under her breath, low enough so only Lian would hear. In return, Lian grabbed a fistful of her hair, tugging hard. Artemis grimaced, trying and failing to get her to let go.

After a few, tense minutes, Roy came over and picked Lian up. "We're going to go on a walk," he said, voice even as if nothing had happened. "Maybe build a sandcastle."

"Sounds fun," Artemis said, glancing at her sister. "You going with?"

"Pass. I hate sand." Jade watched her husband leave with their daughter, waiting until they were out of earshot before resting her hands on her hips. "You've been awfully housebound as of late."

"We live in an apartment."

Jade smirked. "The college girl still has her wits about her. Dad would be so proud."

"Fuck off, Jade. What do you want?"

The older girl tucked some of her hair behind her ear before stretching her arms behind her back. "Nothing, really. Just wondering where all those annoying little friends of yours are. Not one of them has been by to pay you a visit. I'm hurt," she said with a pout. "I baked brownies and everything."

This was the side of her sister that always set Artemis on edge. The very essence of Jade, forever taunting and toying around, just like a cat. It was unnerving how quickly she could shift between her personas. "Tales of your cooking have spread. They'd rather leave me hanging than risk trying anything you made."

"Fair enough. We'll both leave the cooking to Roy then," she countered. "Then why don't you go see them?"

"Getting tired of me already? Wasn't aware I was that bad of a roommate."

Jade leaned closer, raising a brow. "You're ignoring messages, shutting your phone off… I wasn't going to say anything until you blew off the little birdie," she continued. "Surely you have better things to do than watch baby cartoons all day."

Artemis shouldn't have been surprised that Jade knew the goings-on of her life. If anything, she was mildly annoyed. "Shouldn't you be happy? I'm a free babysitter for your niece."

"She doesn't need a babysitter every day. You need a life, Sis. Stop running errands with my husband and go play with that little team of yours."

"Wow, what a pep talk. Now who's making Dad proud?"

Jade narrowed her eyes, pushing herself off the table and picking up Lian's discarded sippy cup. "Fat chance. I'm nothing like that bastard."

"Hey." Artemis tossed the untouched apple in her sister's direction. Jade caught it without breaking a sweat, looking almost amused at the simplicity of the task. "You don't have to worry about me."

"Who said I was worried? I'm just tired of seeing your moping around the place."

Artemis made a noise through her teeth, but she knew this was probably the best she was going to get from her sister. For now, it was good enough.

* * *

If Artemis were a decent person, she would have followed her sister's lead and started contacting her friends again. She would have replied to every message, apologized, and set up appointments to see all of them.

Unfortunately, she wasn't exactly a decent person.

Instead of doing that, she took Brucely for a run. Artemis had never been fond of running; it brought back memories of endless drills, sprinting for all she was worth in an effort to please her father. Once in a while though, she liked the feeling of being breathless. It grounded her, reminded her that she was here, that she was still alive.

When Jade left the house, she slid into athletic shorts, laced up her sneakers and went running along the beach. Brucely, the lazy fatass that he was, wasn't very happy with her, but he chugged along, shooting her a look every so often in begging her to stop. After an hour, she took pity on him and finally collapsed against the sand, breathing hard. Adrenaline pulsed through her system, and her heart pounded loudly against her chest, making her giddy. At least she hadn't gone completely out of shape.

Brucely padded up against her, his tongue lolling about pathetically. Artemis stroked his head, trying not to laugh. "You never did like running, did you?" she teased, earning a 'hmph' in return. She knew he wasn't very happy with her right now. No matter how hard her or Wally had tried in keeping him active, he didn't like anything more than his regular walks.

Her heart ached when she conjured the memory. If she thought hard enough, Artemis could hear his voice, the way he cooed and coddled their dog. Brucely had been her Christmas gift, a third member of their little family. Wally had adored Brucely, always spoiling him far more than he had to. The dog never forgot, either. When she still lived in the duplex, he would wait by the door for his other owner. Sometimes, Artemis would wait with him.

Ultimately, they were both left disappointed.

"What do you think of pizza for dinner?" Artemis asked, ruffling Brucely's head. "I don't think I can even look at another one of Jade's attempts." The dog didn't respond, which was expected, but she laughed anyway. "Yeah, let's do pizza. Lian will love it," she said, standing up again. Roy would appreciate not having to cook.

On the way back to the apartment, she pulled out her phone, turning it on and idly scrolling through the messages. Three from today, which was two less than the previous day. If she didn't answer, at some point somebody would show up on Jade's doorstep. The problem was, she wouldn't even know where to start. Kaldur was her default, but he was going through his own struggles as it was. M'gann had Conner, and Dick had tons of family to fall back on. Surely they'd be fine for a few more weeks, just enough for her to keep laying low and work on her own sanity.

When she stepped through the front door of the apartment, giant box of pizza in her hands, Brucely tugged forward and made her drop the leash. In an instant, he headed for Lian, who was playing on the floor of the living room. The girl squealed, throwing her arms up in the air and toppling over when the dog attacked her. Roy picked her up, shooting a look to Artemis. She shrugged in apology, setting the pizza down on the table.

"I'd appreciate it if you kept a better handle on your dog," he grumbled, waiting for him to calm down before setting Lian down again.

Artemis tugged her jacket off and tossed it to the side. "I'll forward your feedback to my supervisor. Hungry?"

"I could eat."

"I brought pizza."

Roy settled back on the floor, turning his gaze to Lian. "Jade's not home. So don't worry about waiting for her."

"I never worry about Jade. How were the sandcastles?" she asked, opening the pizza box and taking a slice.

"Sandy." Roy held Lian's hands as the baby bounced on unsteady feet. "But Lian liked it, so I guess that's what counts. Bring me a slice?"

"You got it." She took another slice out and handed it over before sitting on the floor with him. "Hey Li. You having fun there?" she asked, grinning when her niece babbled something at her.

Roy took a bite out of his pizza, making a face at Lian. "She's always having fun. It's… incredible how happy she is. Considering her genetics."

"Ever heard of nature versus nurture? She's happy because you guys are happy. In your own weird, uncomfortable way." He grunted, mulling it over before tearing off a piece of his pizza for Lian. Artemis watched her niece gobble it up, unable to help but smile. "You are happy… aren't you?"

"I'm getting there." Roy smiled to himself, supporting Lian as she bounced a bit harder. "She makes me happy. And Jade, too."

Artemis smirked. "I'm sure. All the sex must be helping."

"Sex!" Lian exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear.

Roy groaned, setting Lian down on her bottom before running a hand down his face. "Maybe Jade's right about the genetics. We're all so fucked," he said warily, pushing himself to his feet.

Lian watched him go until Artemis took his place, holding her hands so she could stand again. To her surprise, her niece didn't grip on as tightly as she usually did, instead holding herself on her own two feet. "We were fucked either way. At least this way we'll get a laugh out of it."

"I'm glad you find my daughter so amusing," he called from the kitchen. "By the way, you're in trouble."

"For what?"

He returned to the living room, bringing some napkins and a bottle of water with him. "Kaldur called me."

Artemis sighed, letting go of Lian's hands once she was sure she could hold herself up. "Of course he did."

"Why aren't you returning his emails?" he asked, lowering the volume on the television. Artemis recognized the cartoon. Kim Possible, or something. She remembered watching it with Jade when they were just kids. Must be a retro rerun, or something.

"I don't want to talk to anyone. Not yet, anyway."

"You can't sulk here forever," Roy said gently. "I would know." This earned him a smile, and a playful nudge.

"I'm not… sulking," she sighed, picking up one of Lian's toys and turning it around in her hands. "I just don't really want to talk to anyone yet. Being here is nice, you know? You guys don't treat me as the girl who just lost her boyfriend."

"And they will? You're not giving them enough credit."

"Maybe I'm not."

"Just talk to them, Artemis. I'm the first person to admit that it's easier to push everyone away. But I… we need people," he said, looking at his daughter and giving her a smile. "It's never going to get better if we keep everyone at arm's length."

As much as she hated to admit it, Roy was right. Her phone was burning a hole in her shorts, even now. Artemis smiled, looking at Lian who was standing pretty confidently on her own two feet. "Never thought I'd ever be getting advice from you."

"Well, first time for everything," Roy said, almost chuckling. "I'm not saying you need to reply to every message, but… just let them know you're okay. Maybe schedule a meeting, or go to the Watchtower. Baby steps."

"Baby steps, huh?" she asked, tossing him Lian's toy. Roy scoffed, tossing it back at her. This went on for a while until Lian squealed angrily. Roy smiled apologetically, holding out the toy for her to take. Only, instead of taking it, Lian grunted and hesitantly took a step forward.

Artemis and Roy immediately exchanged a look, wondering if they'd both really just witnessed Lian taking her first steps. Roy pulled the toy backwards, and Lian took another wobbly step, looking at her dad for reassurance.

"Oh my god, she's walking. Shit, she's walking," Roy stammered out, a smile lighting up his face. "Lian, you're walking!" he exclaimed. Artemis couldn't believe what she was seeing and immediately pulled out her phone to record, the two of them cheering Lian at the top of her lungs.

Lian finally made her way over to her dad, collapsing into his waiting arms. Roy held her tight, kissing her head before lifting her up in the air. "You did it, baby girl! You took your first steps. Holy shit…" he said, his face falling after. "Jade missed it."

Artemis held up her phone. "Got it on film. Can't wait to show everyone how much of a sap you really are," she taunted.

Roy rolled his eyes, kissing Lian's head again. "Whatever. Even you can't sour this for me. She's finally walking."

"You know what that means, don't you?" Artemis asked with a knowing smirk. Roy raised a brow, urging her to continue as Lian babbled and tugged at his hair. "Hope you and Jade hid your weapons well. Now she can walk right to them."

He grimaced, realizing just how much work he had left to do. "Right. Baby steps."


End file.
